IEDs on the Pharmacy Road
The internet has many stories of Soldiers who have had to walk the Pharmacy Road with its constant threat of IEDs. The death of Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid and his subsequent award for bravery making safe bomb after bomb, once over an 11 hour period is well known. The Prime Minister spoke of robots and equipment but the reality does not sound high tech at all to me. Staff Sergeant Schmid died in an alleyway off the Pharmacy Road sacrificing his life to save his colleagues.
On 20th August 2009 Private Young and Sergeant McAleese also died in an alleyway off the Pharmacy Road. Private Young died first, Sergeant McAleese during the attempts to retrieve his body. The Inquest into their deaths are being held on 14th May in Trowbridge and should examine the question of training, equipment, alternative transport through helicopters given the current toll of casualties and the fact that 5 soldiers have been killed on 10th July by two IEDs whilst operating from the same FOB. Sergeant McAleese was the son of an SAS hero who stormed the Iranian Embassy in 1980. Sergeant McAleese and Private Young were also heros. As I came into work today I heard on the news about Soldiers from 3 Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment being reunited with their families. Private Young was from that Regiment. Let us also remember those who are not returning.
